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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

ARC Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Title:Not a Drop to Drink

Author:Mindy McGinnis

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: September 24th, 2013

Not a Drop to Drink is the type of novel that would have never appeared on my radar if it were not for the enthusiasm of dozens of bloggers. In fact, I believe this is one of the few dystopian novels I've picked up since my string of disasters with debuts last year, so color me surprised to find that McGinnis manages to do this genre justice. Not only is her debut gritty and realistic, but it combines one of the best aspects of dystopia that seem to have been buried under endless love triangles - fear. One of the primary reasons that dystopia became a favorite genre of mine was precisely because it lent itself so beautifully to psychological development; understanding how the fear of a future world led its people to behave in such inhumane ways. Not a Drop to Drink captures this dilemma perfectly, all without the eyesore of a love triangle or the burden of a mindless protagonist. If that isn't fortuitous, then I don't know what is.

As its title suggests, Not a Drop to Drink takes place in a futuristic world where water is a scarcity. Lynn has grown up in the middle of nowhere, far away from cities and other proper means of civilization, choosing to live with her mother in their small house with their small treasure. And by treasure I mean water. With water such a rarity in this world, Lynn has been forced to fight for her pond and, from a young age, has been taught by her mother how to shoot and just when to kill. In other words, shoot on sight, make no friends, and survive. When Lynn's mother is killed, though, Lynn slowly finds herself opening up to others surrounding her, but as her heart opens, so does room for danger as well...

Not a Drop to Drink is a largely plot-less novel, but that is far from being a detriment. While I found it to have an unusually slow start, it swiftly picked up and I found myself immersed in Lynn's life. McGinnis does a brilliant job of portraying the harsh brutality of the world Lynn has grown up in and we are witness to the prickly thorns surrounding her walls as she fails to connect with those around her. Lynn finds Lucy, Eli, and Neva - a young family searching for water - and with the help of her neighbor Stebbs, slowly grows to envelop them in her life. McGinnis never rushes Lynn's growth, taking her time to make her feel comfortable with strangers and re-connect with her humanity. One of the largest themes of this novel is that of life vs. survival. From the moment she was born, Lynn has simply been surviving. Her mother, a heard-hearted woman whose circumstances turned her to steel, never let Lynn feel the brunt of gentle emotions. Thus, Lynn has a long way to travel, psychologically, before she can learn to see people and not enemies, before she can learn to trust instead of kill.

I love that this is not only a far cry from the typical overbearing governments that litter dystopias, but this is also a much more realistic portrayal of a futuristic conflict. McGinnis writes beautifully and the details of her world fit in like puzzle pieces into the story. Although the main focus of this novel is on Lynn, there is still a depth of world-building that is slowly revealed over the course of the novel, as well as a plethora of other mysteries that begin to show by the end. Unfortunately, I found this was a detriment to the novel as, frankly, there was simply too much piled on to that conclusion. For once, the epilogue was mildly satisfying, but beyond that, the quick succession of events towards the end lost any real impact those concluding scenes may have had. Moreover, the characterization of many of the secondary characters was ever-so-slightly disappointing. None of them had the level of depth that Lynn or her mother possessed, and while this didn't impact my enjoyment of the novel in any particular manner, I would have loved for those other characters to come alive for me the way Lynn did.

Nevertheless, if you've lost belief in the dystopian genre, then this novel is the one to restore your faith. Not a Drop to Drink is an engaging thriller, full of concise prose and vivid characters. You'll come away from this with a far better appreciation of dihydrogen monoxide than before and, most likely, a thirst for more solid stand-alones from this genre. If nothing else, McGinnis has proved to be an author to watch out for and I can only hope she continues to belt out winners.

19 comments:

I am so looking forward to this one! Like you, I've read quite a few disappointing dystopians - really weak, implausible stories dominated by dramatic love triangles.. But I haven't quite given up and this one really sounds like my kind of book :) I don't mind a book having little plot when the characters and world are developed, and it certainly sounds like they are here. I like seeing those bigger questions (life/survival etc) addressed, rather than just another question of 'which love interest?' Fantastic review, Keertana, I'm very keen to read this one now.

I am definitely disenchanted with Dystopians so I'm curious to read this one for sure, though for some reason I haven't been able to convince myself to actually pick it up and read it yet. I'm glad the world building is strong, and the writing is beautiful but mostly I'm excited to get inside of Lynn's head, because it sounds like that's the strength of the story!

I am definitely disenchanted with Dystopians so I'm curious to read this one for sure, though for some reason I haven't been able to convince myself to actually pick it up and read it yet. I'm glad the world building is strong, and the writing is beautiful but mostly I'm excited to get inside of Lynn's head, because it sounds like that's the strength of the story!

I really love your explanation of the book! That the author really explores the psychological factors is encouraging, and now I definitely want to read this one.

Haha "lost belief" is so true. I've enjoyed the Divergent series despite some issues, but series like Matched have really diluted the genre and made me cautious about picking up anything labeled "the next Hunger Games."

I'm really thrilled to see you enjoyed this overall! I was quite surprised by how character-driven it was, but it did definitely make a nice change from the countless other titles in this genre. The survival aspect was really well done. I also can't wait to see what McGinnis has in store for us in the future! Hopefully any new books will be just as strong as this. :) Lovely review, Keertana!

I have this one on my to-read list and I can tell you that I'm really excited. I started to enjoy dystopia again after the whole bunch of repetitive stories so I'm happy to hear that this one is something. The whole idea sounds so real. Amazing review as always Keertana :)

This would be a good ironic read for me right now with all the flooding in CO. I don't mind a slow start as long as it does pick up and I like the way you make the characters sound. Oh I do think I'll have to try it when I'm in the mood for a dystopian.

Awesome review. I don't know if I'm disenchanted with dystopia, but it's hard to find something new nowadays. I suppose this book is a good cure for that. It seems a little slow for my taste, but you've sold me on Lynn's characterization.

I haven't quite experienced a burnout due to disappointing dystopians like you have, but I suppose I have been avoiding them somewhat. When I read premise after premise that features an evil, oppressive government, where the protagonist inexplicably focuses on a romance (or even a love triangle) despite the prevalence of other, tougher circumstances, I just lose interest. So McGinnis' book does sound like a breath of fresh air. Your comment that it's largely plotless does worry me a little, however. I love character development, but in genre fiction I feel as though there does need to be more of a plot. We'll see. I may end up reading this one anyway. I am glad that it worked out well for you, though, Keertana!

When I say plotless I mean more that there's no dire situation at hand than any type of bad scripting. NOT A DROP TO DRINK focuses on Lynn's life and her changes to events within in, which makes it very character-driven, and there are obvious plot tensions that exist, but they're also not the focus. I do think this is one you'll like, so I'm curious to see what you'll make of it if you do pick it up.

I've been dystopianed out for a while now, but it's nice to hear this breaks the usual mold. I hate the love triangles and mindless heroines that you rightly say are in most of them. It looks like this is a stand alone as well, and that is completely welcome! I'm tired of the year long waits between books like these. I'll have to check this out. Wonderful review, Keertana! :)

I'm not sick of dystopian just yet but there are other factors to consider for me to like a novel in this genre. I'm curious about the scenario here though. I'm glad that it worked out for you, nonetheless. ;)

Like you, I never would have even considered this one without some pretty amazing reviews, yours included. TBH, I don't think the cover is doing this book any favors, but now that I know what's behind, I definitely want to know even more.

I have mo problems with quiet, slow stories, as long as the worldbuilding and the characters make it worth my while. And despite your slight disappointment in secondary characters, this still sounds like a treat.Lovely review, K.

I liked the writing and plot for this one but my enthusiasm about it was seriously diminished by my inability to connect with Lynn and other characters. I rooted for them but we just didn't click the way I do with my favorite characters and books.

I'm so happy to see "Not a Drop to Drink" earn a strong positive review from you, Keertana! This one is ranked high on my wish list, so if I had any reservations about the book before, I no longer have them. I do believe the last dystopian I read was back in April - which was Requiem by Lauren Oliver; it was a disappointment to say the least. Though NaDtD and Requiem are two very different types of dystopian novels, I think NaDtD is what I've been craving from the genre. I'm sooo eager to read it!